Tag Archives: Pamela DeVrou Smith

Being healthy and taking care of our bodies is a “Christ-Like” thing! God asks us to “Take care of our Temples (gifts from Him btw…)” and to honor God with our bodies! So why is it that we struggle so hard with this one?

I’ve found there are three areas that keep us from being Healthy and Fit and giving ourselves our BEST!

1.) How: We are bombarded with information but sifting through it can be difficult! Even when we manage to get through the minions of information, many times we end up with the wrong information! How in the world can we decipher through and know what we are doing is the ‘right thing’?

First, we have to remember that we simply need to start by getting active! It doesn’t have to be BIG steps…they can be little. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. When we are dropping off our kids to their activity, walk around the park while waiting instead of sitting on the bench or in the car! Start small…and do it often. Shooting for activity in our lives on a daily basis is the goal! You can worry about getting more of it after you’ve created the habit of just being active!

2.) Discipline: The art and consistency of discipline is one of the toughest areas I fail the most! It’s difficult to push all distractions aside (inside and out) and simply do what you set out to do – GET IT DONE! I’m in awe of those that can get up and just do what they said they would do regardless of how they feel or what’s on their list of ‘to do’s’ for the day! They seem to set their alarm and go right into motion. I have a son that is an incredible runner. He’s so self-disciplined! I’m in wonder every time this 13yr old text messages me and lets me know that he just finished running and doing the workout that was expected of him! It’s amazing to see his improvements and the honors he gets from this simple (yet difficult) act he has developed within his young life!

We must remember, those that have that ability were NOT born with it! They had to develop discipline within their lives! I love to see people who join the gym who are brand new to the experience! They come in – hit or miss at first. Little-by-little, they get more and more consistent. Soon enough they create the habit (self-discipline) of coming in the gym and getting their work out in! I’m proud of them! When I set out a goal and day-by-day achieve it, no matter how long it takes, I feel so good about myself. It breads a confidence within me that carries me into other areas of my life! In our society of “Instant everything”, self-discipline is an art that we desperately need to return! Remember, God is asking us to take our health seriously…ask Him for the ability to be disciplined enough to do it! He’ll provide more and more as you step out in Faith daily!

3.) Body Image: This one is tough! We are bombarded daily with images and statements that we simply don’t measure up! Perfection seems to be “everyone’s” but ours. The magazines, TV and movies (and don’t forget fellow humans! Ladies, we need to start being nicer to each other!) show us what we are supposed to be looking like and when we look into the mirror…well, it’s no where the same. First we need to remember that we are unconditionally loved by the One who made us in the first place! He’s not asking us to take care of ourselves because He needs a better looking disciple! He loves you exactly where you are at and who you are right at this moment! He wants what’s best for us, and taking care of our bodies so that we have energy and are not sick is part of what’s best! There’s nothing like waking up feeling good, having energy and never worrying about getting sick!

We need to let go of what others say we should be and simply day-by-day take steps toward being healthy (the best version of ourselves). When we do this, we just simply think better about ourselves! We need to give it our best and do it daily. When we fall off and fail that day…get right back at it! It’s not time to barrage ourselves and crumble our emotions…it’s just a lapse. Get back out there and start again! It’s a lifetime journey. It’s a style that we need to adopt. It’s going to take some adjustments. I’m STILL adjusting…always will be so that I can give my life (the precious gift God gave me) the best I’ve got! I’m not comparing myself to someone in a magazine or in a movie…I’m looking into the mirror and knowing that God loves the one looking back at me and I have been charged with taking care of that person! I wouldn’t call a friend bad names and cut them down…why would I do it to myself? Stop it! That’s not how we need to talk to ourselves. We need to practice kindness…to ourselves so that we are in habit and can be nice to others as well!

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When it comes to fitness (Heck! Anywhere in our lives…), having a period of “Active Rest” is important! We need breaks within our fitness from the rigorous activity we put our bodies through!

This one is especially difficult for me.

There are cycles our bodies must go through to perform at it’s best. We need Active Rest for some down-time. We need it to discover and explore other activities that we enjoy. We need it to relax and reevaluate how it is we are going about our fitness and developing our passions.

Active Rest: An important cycle within our fitness program that allows for the body – both physically and mentally to recover, recuperate, and rejuvenate. The period in which the athlete is still active within theirs lives, however, usually with other activities that may be at a much lower impact then their usual program requires.

Everyone needs a break! I like to think of Active Rest as the bodies form of a vacation. When we get going with work and the stress mounts up, we just need a break and go on a vacation. It is the same with our bodies within our own individual programs. Active rest allows the body both mentally and physically to step back and take a broader view of life in general. A view that allows for activities that when the athlete is heavily involved in their season, they don’t usually get to enjoy!

This holds true for the average, everyday person who is just getting fit and losing weight! WE get set in routines and programs and forget that their is a whole array of fun out there: other programs, sports, and activities to enjoy in a leisurely way!

What Active Rest is NOT: Time to sit on the couch and do nothing eating junk all day every day! We still need to be involved within our lives and actually maybe even more so during Active rest because it can be shared with so man others!!

The stages of training are:

Foundational Training – Getting a healthy foundation for strength, flexibility, and endurance in an overall setting.

Functional Training (Sport-Specific) – This period of training hones in on goals set by the Athlete or the sport itself. The focus will be more towards the muscles and movements needed by the sport itself.

Pre-Season Training – It’s now time for sport specific in a much more intense way. Other training aspects of training should already be in place at this point so the athlete can concentrate on what’s needed to achieve their goal. The Athlete will still be developing the muscles, endurance and flexibility needed for their specific activity.

In-Season Training – This training period is the most intense and is very sport-specific. It’s game time. Time to show all the hard work and win! There is still growth within this period, but nothing is to impede from the game itself!

Active Rest – Season is over…intensity has subsided…the “Win” and the trophies have been achieved. It’s time to take a break both mentally and physically. Time to enjoy other activities and sports in a leisurely way! This phase is a growth phase too and it’s much-needed both physically and mentally! The Season takes a toll on the athlete in both of these areas…it’s stressful and our bodies need to recover and reflect.

Don’t forget the Active Rest period of your personal training…It IS important!

I love these high fiber, low carb whole grain wraps….you don’t have to be afraid of them!! Not all carbs are the same! So grab one and see what veggies you have to put into it along with some fish or chicken. Here’s what I did today!

added Baby raw carrots on the side!! That’s lunch! Just take the fresh veggies that you have and be sure to add in a source of protein (at every meal!!!). I added Hummus for moisture instead of using Mayo or other sauces! This satisfied me for now and I’ll eat again within 3 hours!! 🙂 Big Hugs!!

I’m a bit late or right on time…you decide! It is May 1st and I’ve measured and weighed in! So here are the results! Before I show you though, I want to talk about how excited I am to go to Grand Rapids!! Well, really Grandville, Michigan. I grew up in the little town next to it…Jenison. I graduated back in 1987 (boy does that make me sound a bit old!! lol) and..I have a class reunion to go to this year!! I want to call out my classmates and let them know….”You Still Have Time To Get In Shape Before the Reunion!!!!!!” There…Thanks. I needed to do that for them! hee hee…

Pamela DeVrou Smith Formal-RFF

There is something about taking great care of yourself! Remember, I’ve been both heavy and in shape! I feel sooooo much better when I’m in great shape! I have more confidence, more energy, I’m able to keep up with my kids! The works! It’s funny how we are always drawn to someone who takes care of themselves. I think maybe we think it will rub off! I’m praying that it does. If I could take anyone who isn’t in good shape and help them in any way that I could…I would! To let them experience how it feels to fit into jeans or to bend over and tie your shoes without the struggle or to not be tired all the time! And jealousy….forget about it! No need. I’m doing all that I can (that is within my power) to give my life it’s best that I can. When I do that, I have no regrets about it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s worth it! Go for your health! Fight for it! You deserve to look into the mirror and feel good at the person staring back at you!! Just to remind you that I come from the ‘have-nots” too and remember how I felt back then…I will give you a picture of me then along with my photo shoot pics. They look like two different people!! Feel free to message me or connect with me on Facebookor Twitter and let me know how I can help YOU attain your goals!! With enough time and dedication…it’s possible (keep telling yourself that!!)

Here’s the latest…

I’m up…then I’m down! (What is that!! I blame the lack of sleep and food!)

I’m very confident!!

I’m doubting so much!

The truth is…when chasing after something, the focus becomes so intense that really all else starts to really fade into the background. I really have some serious laser vision right now. My eye is on the goal. my heart is set and even though it’s falters with confidence at times (and yes…it IS faltering) all still stands!! I’m moving forward and going to Dearborne at the Simmons-Peckham on March 24th!! It’s hard to chase after a dream. Honestly, the Competition isn’t the dream! Some of you may know that it’s actually a fitness tour that I want. I had it already right in my hands and it slipped out. I guess God wanted to develop me some more. So I buckled down and am learning some more! All I really want is to let all of you know that health, and fitness in ALL 5 AREAS OF OUR LIVES is possible to achieve! Not all the time and not perfectly, but possible! We are to give our lives our best!! Nothing more…NOTHING LESS!!! If I go down…I go down giving it my all!

Here’s my stats: I’m only gong to give last months and now… Big difference!! I’m told there’s more to drop in these last two weeks!!

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Pamela DeVrou Smith

I've been involved in Health and fitness most of my life! I've always had a love for sports, lifting weights, and cardio fitness. However, after delivering four kids and 12 years of marriage, I realized that I was no longer taking care of myself! I was too busy taking care of everyone else! Red Fox Fitness is about my journey and all that I've learned along the way! See More...